One of the reasons people can so easily "see America" is because what years ago was considered special needs accommodation has become simply infrastructure. With the ADA, Universal Design, and concepts like Visitability inclusion is just the way things are done, no questions asked. It's American.
And that is a powerful example for a tourist to bring home.
This summer, see America.
The Tourism Industry of America (TIA) has declared May 7-15, 2005 as See America/National Tourism Week. I am looking forward to it.
That is not because TIA has adequately incorporated information on the needs of disabled travelers into their Toolkit or undertaken the research that is necessary to allow their constituency to excel in service to this market. They haven't. Perhaps the upcoming release of the Open Doors Organization's second Consumer Study on travelers with disabilities will persuade them to correct that deficit in the future.
What encourages me about the See America campaign is that it allows ordinary Americans the opportunity to rally their home communities around inclusive travel. The answers will all be homegrown. Tourism for All in the UK has a long record of service. Tourism for All Tenerife is a mature example of integrated tourism information and inclusive planning. Inclusive Cities Canada sets a high standard for its southern neighbor to reach for. Québec's Kéroul sets an international standard in the field of tourism. Still, each community must weave these values into its own culture and unique sense of place.
In the USA, places like Santa Cruz, California demonstrate the power of a community making strategic choices to improve the experience of visitors with disabilities. This process - inclusive destination development- can mean the economic revitalization of a region.
Some examples:
The years ahead offer new opportunities.
Unlike other niche markets, providing quality service to travelers with disabilities requires infrastructure development. While aging Boomers will generally not chose to self-identify as disabled they will become the dominant market force I the tourism industry and, denial notwithstanding, they will be disabled. Advocates and researchers speaking up today for the needs of the disabled are literally a "focus group from the future." They are the key that the travel and hospitality industry must use to unlock tomorrow's profits.
